Four of the world’s most distinguished journalists have been named visiting Ferris Professors in the Humanities Council at Princeton University for Spring 2017. Drawn from leading newsrooms, the writers and authors each teach an intensive seminar and contribute to the intellectual life of campus. They join long-term faculty, Joe Stephens (The Washington Post) and John McPhee (The New Yorker), in a program that offers nearly a dozen courses each year.
“We’re blessed with an accomplished and passionate group of visiting professors,” said Kathleen Crown, executive director of the Humanities Council. “It’s an exciting time for our expanding program, at a moment when quality journalism is needed more than ever.”
The new arrivals continue a tradition spanning six decades at the storied Ferris program, a leading voice in journalism education.
Edward Wong has spent 13 of his 17 years at The New York Times as an international correspondent and is a former Beijing bureau chief. He received the 2005 Livingston Award for International Reporting for his coverage of the Iraq War. Wong’s course, International News: Reporting from Baghdad to Beijing, explores how international correspondents report on fast-moving events that have global impact.
Elaine Sciolino is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times. Her latest book, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, was a Times best seller. Her other books include Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran, and Sciolino has served as a lecturer on five Times-led tours to Iran. Her course on Local Reporting: Paris as a Case Study will include field work conducted in Paris during spring break.
Nicholas Schmidle works on complex investigative projects as a staff writer at The New Yorker. He is the author of To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan and has received the 2008 Kurt Schork Award for reporting in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Schmidle’s course, Investigative Journalism: Finding the Story, focuses on how to construct provocative, compelling stories about intricate subjects.
Tara Parker-Pope is founder and editor of The New York Times’ “Well” section, which offers science-based health and wellness advice. An Emmy winner and author of three books, Parker-Pope is teaching The Media and Social Issues: The Art (and Science) of Medical and Science Writing. Her course emphasizes journalists’ need to develop a basic understanding of science and health research.
On March 2, Wong, Sciolino, and Schmidle will participate in the second in a series of panel discussions entitled The Post-Fact Era? on the topic of “Covering the New Administration: Lessons from the International Correspondents.” The discussion will be moderated by Joe Stephens. For additional information, email journalism@princeton.edu.
